Behind the Scenes at Pike Place Market

The Pike Place Market is much more than a historically significant farmers market and popular tourist attraction. The preservation of the Market does not just involve keeping interesting buildings, but includes the continuation of a wide range of traditional uses alongside housing and services for low-income and older neighbors and residents. Mandated by the City of Seattle’s 1971 historic preservation ordinance and the subsequent PDA charter, many of these uses are sustained through the work of the Market Foundation. This behind-the-scenes tour focuses on the diversity of the Market community and the ways in which it is preserved and sustained. Learn about hidden aspects of the life of the historic district – aspects that are an essential part of the Market, its unique character and cherished traditions. Our guides are longtime experts: John Turnbull, Director of Asset Management, Pike Place Market Preservation & Development Authority; Lillian Sherman, Executive Director, Market Foundation; and Kate Krafft, member of Friends of the Market and Historic Seattle Council Chair.